"What purports to be a copy."
"How glad I am I"m not a lawyer! It seems to make people so suspicious."
"It"s a great pity you didn"t keep the original."
Neaera said nothing. Perhaps she did not agree.
"But I suppose you didn"t send for me to argue about the matter?"
"No. I sent for you to propose peace. Mr. Neston, I am so weary of fighting. Why will you make me fight?"
"It"s not for my pleasure," said George.
"For whose, then?" she asked, stretching out her arms with a gesture of entreaty. "Cannot we say no more about it?"
"With all my heart."
"And you will admit you were wrong?"
"That is saying more about it."
"You cannot enjoy the position you are in."
"I confess that."
"Mr. Neston, do you never think it"s possible you are wrong? But no, never mind. Will you agree just to drop it?"
"Heartily. But there"s the _Bull"s-eye_."
"Oh, bother the _Bull"s-eye_! I"ll go and see the editor," said Neaera.
"He"s a stern man, Mrs. Witt."
"He won"t be so hard to deal with as you. There, that"s settled. Hurrah!
Will you shake hands, Mr. Neston?"
"By all means."
"With a thief?"
"With you, thief or no thief. And I must tell you you are very----"
"What?"
"Well, above small resentments."
"Oh, what does it matter? Suppose I did take the boots?"
"Shoes," said George.
Neaera burst into a laugh. "You are very accurate."
"And you are very inaccurate, Mrs. Witt."
"I shall always be amused when I meet you. I shall know you have your hand on your watch."
"Oh yes. I retract nothing."
"Then it is peace?"
"Yes."
Neaera sat up and gave him her hand, and the peace was ratified. But it so chanced that Neaera"s sudden movement roused the cat. He yawned and got up, arching his back, and digging his claws into the hearth-rug.
"Bob," said Neaera, "don"t spoil the rug."
George"s attention was directed to the animal, and, as he looked at it, he started. Bob"s change of posture had revealed a serious deficiency: he had no tail, or the merest apology for a tail.
It was certainly an odd coincidence, perhaps nothing more, but a very odd coincidence, that George should have seen in the courtyard at Peckton Gaol no less than three tailless cats! Of course there are a good many in the world; but still most cats have tails.
"I like a black cat, don"t you?" said Neaera. "He"s nice and Satanic."
The Peckton cats were black, too,--black as ink or the heart of a money-lender.
"An old favourite?" asked George, insidiously.
"I"ve had him a good many years. Oh!"
The last word slipped from Neaera involuntarily.
"Why "oh!"?"
"I"d forgotten his milk," answered Neaera, with extraordinary prompt.i.tude.
"Where did you get him?"
Neaera was quite calm again. "Some friends gave him me. Please don"t say I stole my cat, too, Mr. Neston."
George smiled; indeed, he almost laughed. "Well, it is peace, Mrs.
Witt," he said, taking his hat. "But remember!"
"What?" said Neaera, who was still smiling and cordial, but rather less at her ease than before.
"A cat may tell a tale, though he bear none."
"What do you mean?"
"If it is ever war again, I will tell you. Good-bye, Mrs. Witt."